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ftfigntrh glutineA etrnzt @filtri JOHN M. MAY, ()l".JANESl/ T1Llrlil, WISCONSIN. Letters Patent No. 72,213, rlatctl December 17, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN GATES.

Och- 'IO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Bedt known that I, JOHN M. MAY, of the city of Janesville, Reek county, and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in 0pt-rating Gates; and do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to operating gates that are opened and closed longitudinally, or in a parallel line with the fence, by sliding or hy travelling on wheels, and kept perpendicular by means of friction-rollers or guides; also, in devices for unlatching and opening and latching and closing gates from a carriage, or when on.-}horse back; also, in a latch, and device for operating a latch, so constructed and connected together that the latch may be operated withfequal facility by hand from the ground, or by means of the device when in a vehicle orI on horseback; also, in a peculiar root` or shelter for the protection of the.working-mechanism,

The same letters of reference in each figure represent the same parts. Y Figure 1 is an upright sectional drawing, a portion of 'the gate being broken away, showing a latch and a part of the device foropening and closing, and the mode of attaching thedevice to the gate.

Figure 2 is a topview of a part ot' the opening and closing-device. Figure 3 is a sectional view at right angles with tig. 1, with an additional post.

Figure 4 is a sectional view at light angles with fig. 1, with additional posts and levers for operatingthe gate.. Figure 6 is a sectional detail drawing at right angles with ng. 1, showing a mode of connecting the rod that lifts the latchwiththe latch itself, so as to allow the latch to be operated without using the rod.

Figure 7 is a view of the rod connecting with an elbow-lever that lifts a latch. Figure 8 is a view et' the rear end of the gate-rail, showing a mode of attaching the rod to the rail. Figure 9 is a cross-section at right angles with Iig-s. 1 and 8, cut through from L to z'; also gate-rails and a wheel and post. I

Figure 10 is a sectional View at right angles with fig. 1, showing the manner oi' keeping ,the gate perpendicular.

a part of theworking-mechanism. The principal post I3 may be made suiiciently long, and the post B omitted; also, two posts, as B, in figs. 3 and 4, may be used, and the gate and pendulum-lever M pass between them. The pendulum-lever M is pivoted to post I3'l or posts Il5 in figs. 3 and 4, by bolt aand is connected to the gate by means of bar N, and ishinged or pivotcd in any suitable manner; butif, in addition to opening and closing a. gate, a latch is also to be used, I employ rod L, one end of which is connect-ed to latch V, in iig. 1, or elbow V, to connect it with latch Vl in iig. 7, the end being formed -like a hook, the sides of which are parallel, as shown in iig. 6, or closed in th'c form of a link, as indicated by dotted lines in the same'igure. This hook'pr link allows the projection C of the latch (or elbow V2, as in fig. 7,) to move by hand back and forth inside the hook or link, as indicated by dotted lines in iig. 1. The handle d or knob-handle, as indicated'by dotted lines at d', may be used. When the latch is moved by rod L, to which is attached bar N, the part of rod L indicated by L in igs. l1 and 9, the slot c, in tig. 8, allows the rod to move far enoughv to lift the latch from catch r, vit being pivoted at f, when the continued longitudinal movement of the bar N'moves the gate longitudinally on wheels, F, the friction-roller G keeping the gate perpendicular. Theirod L is here placed underneath the rail C, and kept in line by means of hooks or pins, g and g', andA is protected from the weather and obstructions', as. snow and ice, though it may be located in any place and in any manner on the rail lthat will serve in operating a. gate. The rod L, to answer the purposes herein sought, is bent or formed, as indicated by L, Ll, L2, and L3, in figs. 1, 6, 7, 8, and 9, and the angles-or elbows are at z' andj in figs. 1, 8, and 9. This rod may be made whole 'or in parts, and joined together in any suitable'manner, or rod L may extend only,from L2 to ping and connect by a wire orcord to the latch; also, the part L, in figs. 1 and 9, serves as a bolt or pin to receive bar N in connecting the bar to thc rail C, and moves in slot e as the gate is operated. The different parts of the gate are indicated by the letters C and D the rails, I the pickets, E the base, and E the surbase or. lower edge of the gate, which travels between friction-rollers G and pin II in iigs. 9 and 10';"'but I do no't conne myself to the above-described gate to be operated by means of my invention, as any gate that is moved longitudinally A is the ground, in which the posts B are firmly set, while B is a supplemental post, to which is attached may be used. The links P P connect bysuitable joints to levers R R and with the arm O el' the pendulumlever M at a. The pendulum-lever M is pivoted to post B1, fig. 1, or B" in figs. 3 and 4; und at I are the pivots by which levers R are attached te cross-head B* in figs. and 2, or to eross-head Bl in figs. 3 and 4. To the cnil of the'long arm of levers R R are the pendent-rods S, attached by a loose link-joint. These levers have a length that brings the pendent-rods at a convenient distance from the gate to be reached from horseback or a carriage as the gate is approached. i By drawing the rod downward, the pendulum-lever M is moved, {irst uulatchin'g the gate and then 4opening it longitudinally, the wheels causing it to move easily, and when opened, the pendent-rod S, the levers R R, the links P I", the pendulum-lever M, with its arm O and the bar N, are moved to the position indicated hy the dotted lines in lig. 1, which opens the gate. After the gate is passed, by raising the opposite pendent-red S, the gate is closed and hitched. In localities where a latch is not needed, the bar N may be connected direct tothe gate by apin or other suitable pivot, and the latch and rod h e wholly omitted. P P are the bars that connect levers R It with rack O?, which moves vertically in guides Ol. The guides'are sustained by any suitable framework, and thc pendulum-lever M is moved bythe rack and pinion as the pendent-rod S is raised or lowered, as before described.

i I do not claima root` orcovering for mechanism used in operating a gate, except when constructed with open ends, substantially as described; nor ldo I claim a swinging lever, which I call a pendulum-lever, per fee, but only when used in operating a gate that is moved longitudinally in opening and closing.

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is Y 1. Pendulum-lever M and bar N, operated by suitable mechanism, and combined with a gate that is moved longitudinally in opening and closing, substantially as described.

2. Agate-latch, combined witlrrod L, or its equivalent, when both are so constructed and connected together that the latch may be operated by hand or from a carriage, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. Pendent-rods S S, levers R R, connectinghars P P, arm O, pendulum-lever M, and bar N, when connected together and combined with a gate that is moved longitudinally in opening and closing, substantially as and for the purposes described.

JOHN M. MAY.4

Witnesses:

GAGE Bunesss, H. T. WRIGHT. 

